Geology Reference
In-Depth Information
importance, sites of paleontological and archaeological
importance, objects of South African collections including
archaeological and paleontological objects, meteorites and
rare geological specimens (Errami et al.
2013a
). South Africa
is well endowed not only with extraordinary mineral deposits,
but also with geological resources which are of great value for
their contribution to the geoheritage base of the country. There
are a number of cases where these assets are grouped in such a
way that they could be assembled into coherent packages
suitable for geoparks of exceptional interest value. One
example of such a cluster is the Pretoria-Johannesburg area
where, within a circle of 100 km diameter, lie the:
Tswaing meteorite crater, an exceptionally well-pre-
served feature;
world-renowned Cradle of Humankind, with its uniquely
important palaeo-anthropological legacy and world-class
museum;
discovery site of the Witwatersrand gold
elds, a mineral
eld of unequalled value in mining history; and
Cullinan (formerly Premier) Diamond mine, producer of
many celebrated diamonds, including the 3,106 carat
Cullinan diamond, largest gem ever found, and a number
of other extraordinary geological phenomena.
In the Eastern Cape Graaff-Reinet is a treasure trove of
Permian mammal-like reptile fossils of unequalled richness,
and north of Cape Town, the West Coast Fossil Park is a
lagerst
tte of Miocene life visited by palaeontologists from
around the world (Fig.
12
a, b). The Barberton Mountainland,
a deeply dissected and easily accessible terrain, offers expo-
sure of Archaean geology that has afforded geologists the
opportunity to assemble a more detailed reconstruction of the
earliest days of our planet than has been possible anywhere
else on Earth. And the Bushveld Complex is a phenomenon of
igneous geology that has fascinated geologists, both eco-
nomic and academic, for nearly a 100 years and continues to
do so. It is not unreasonable to suppose that within a few
years, when the administrative structures are in place, South
Africa will be contributing generously to AGN
ä
'
s portfolio.
3.5
Madagascar
Madagascar consists of a rich geodiversity and paleodiver-
sity that remain unknown to the local authorities and the
public (Krause et al.
2006
; Raharimahefa
2012
) (Fig.
13
a,
b). To improve this situation, Madagascar had started to
Fig. 10 Panoramic views
of the Tazenakht aspiring geopark (Zenaga
inlier, Central Anti-Atlas, Morocco) (
a
and
b
). Didactic unconformities
between the Palaeoproterozoic basement and the late Neoproterozoic
(
c
) and between the late Neoproterozoic and the early Cambrian
formations (
d
) (Tazenakht aspiring geopark, Zenaga inlier, Central
Anti-Atlas, Morocco)
b
